KUALA LUMPUR: The rapid spread of fake news, which is increasingly difficult to control and could lead to chaos among the people, is one of the challenges faced by journalists today.

Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) acting chief executive officer Roslan Ariffin said, therefore, journalists needed to be more sensitive to misinformation and strive to unravel the truth to avoid any harm to the country.

"Journalists have to be sensitive to the challenge of fake news because it can destroy what we have built over the years. That's my concern and that's why we have to guide young journalists on what the real facts are and to stick to the basic principles of journalism.

"Besides that, netizens are also an issue because they thought that being a journalist was easy and one only needs to write well. But they have to realise that it is important for journalists to stick to facts and truth and deliver accurate news," he said when appearing as a guest on the Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme today.

The programme discussed the challenges of the journalism world in conjunction with the National Journalists Day 2022 (HAWANA) which will take place in Melaka this Sunday.

Roslan, who has over 35 years of experience in the field of journalism, hoped that society would continue to support the career of journalists and not look down on their roles, which had helped a lot in the development of the country.

Meanwhile, he said HAWANA was organised to recognise and honour professional journalists, individuals or organisations who have made significant contributions, not only in the field of journalism but also in shaping the minds of the people through their works.

Themed "Suara Jelata, Aspirasi Negara" (The Voice of the People, The Aspirations of the Nation), HAWANA would also witness the announcement of the Melaka Declaration to convey the wishes and dreams of journalists and their aspirations for a more prosperous and united Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA